Wireless communication systems, including data communication systems, have been under continual development for many years. Advances in technology have resulted in smaller and more powerful personal computing devices. For example, there currently exist a variety of portable personal computing devices, including wireless computing devices, such as portable wireless telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and paging devices that are each small, lightweight, and can be easily carried by users. More specifically, the portable wireless telephones, for example, further include cellular telephones that communicate voice and data packets over wireless networks. Many such cellular telephones are manufactured with ever increasing computing capabilities, and as such, are becoming tantamount to small personal computers and hand-held PDAs. Further, such devices are enabling communications using a variety of frequencies and applicable coverage areas, such as cellular communications, wireless local area network (WLAN) communications, Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC), etc.
Generally, NFC is perceived as a “touch to do” technology that allows wireless devices to communicate just by bringing them close together. However, in some applications (e.g., tap-to-play (music), tap-to-pair etc.), it may be desirable to switch communications from NFC to another wireless communication, such as Bluetooth. The user experience for a Bluetooth handover from NFC depends on the time it takes to complete the handover. This time may vary significantly between few milliseconds to a few seconds.
There are mainly two user-perceived events that dictate the user experience: (1) an ‘NFC-Tap’—the physical tapping of the NFC device with the intention of initiating a handover; and (2) The user sensing the completion of the desired action. The user experience is determined by the time delay between the NFC tap and start of the music being played out of the speaker. That is, the shorter the time delay, the better the user experience.
The time taken for the NFC to Bluetooth handover may include the following: (a) a time for the NFC transactions to exchange the Bluetooth credentials that are required to establish the Bluetooth connection for the music streaming; and (b) a time taken for the Bluetooth connection and start streaming the music.
The Bluetooth connection time is much higher than for the NFC transaction and if reduced will improve the user experience.